This invention relates to compositions and methods useful in disinfecting contact lenses. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions and methods in which contact lenses are disinfected using a composition containing chlorine dioxide and a polyanionic component effective to inhibit the formation of proteinaceous deposit material on the contact lens being disinfected.
The use of chlorine dioxide dissolved in an aqueous liquid medium to disinfect contact lenses has previously been suggested. Although chlorine dioxide is very effective in disinfecting contact lenses, the tendency of the chlorine dioxide to combine with proteins, for example, lysozyme, present on or in the contact lens has caused some concern. The combination of such contact lens associated proteins and chlorine dioxide may result in the formation of proteinaceous deposits on the lenses, which may have some effect on the wearability of such lenses.
Park et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,434 and Dziabo et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,480 disclose contact lens disinfecting using chlorine dioxide in which delayed release components are used to delay the release of chlorine dioxide activators, chlorine dioxide destroying components and/or cleaning enzyme components. Various delayed release components are disclosed, for example, soluble cellulose ethers such as methylcellulose, methylhydroxpropylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose and sodium carboxymethylcelluloses; cellulose esters such as cellulose acetate phthalate and hydroxypropylmethyl-cellulose phthalate; polymers derived from at least one of acrylic acid, acrylic acid esters, methacrylic acid and methacrylic acid esters such as methacrylic acid-methyl methacrylate copolymer (for example, that sold by Rohm Pharma under the trademark Eudragit L 100) and methacrylic acid-ethyl acrylate copolymers (for example, that sold by Rohm Pharma under the trademark Eudragit L 30D); polymers derived from methyl vinyl ether and maleic acid anhydride; polyvinylpyrrolidone; polyvinyl alcohols and the like and mixtures thereof. However, neither of these patents discloses that such delayed release components are effective to delay or prevent proteinaceous deposit formation on the contact lens being disinfected.
It would be advantageous to provide a contact lens disinfection system which takes advantage of the antimicrobial properties of chlorine dioxide while, at the same time, reduces or even eliminates the risk of chlorine dioxide interacting with proteins associated with the contact lens to disadvantageously produce proteinaceous deposit material on the disinfected contact lens.